Card delivery mechanism for sorting machines



Dec. 12, 1950 K. J. BRAUN 2,533,422

CARD DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR SORTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 16, 1948 1 .2 20p W 20g 205 INVENTOR. KarlJ Eraun,

HTTQRNEDT ?aienied Bee. 11 3, 1950 CARD DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR SORTINGMACHINES Karl J. Braun, Glenbrook, Conn., assignor to Control InstrumentCompany, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationOctober 16, '1948, Serial No. 54,885

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in statistical card sortingmachines and has particular reference to a card delivery mechanismtherefor, this application being a division of my co-pending applicationSerial No. 565,108, filed November 25, 1944, now Patent No. 2,454,628,dated November 23, 1948.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism whichwill insure proper delivery of cards into their destined pockets afterthey have been analyzed.

Another object resides in providing a card pocket with a deflector whichcarries a closure member for a next adjacent pocket, and wherein saidclosure member is opened by an operating element which also acts toengage the leading edge of a card so that the latter, traveling in adirection which is parallel to its surface, will enter its pocket withsaid edge perpendicular to the direction of movement of the card towardits pocket.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety ofmechanical expressions, one of which, for purposes of illustration, isshown in the accompanying drawings; but it is to be expressly understoodthat said drawings are employed merely for the purpose of facilitatingthe descrip-' tion of the invention as a whole and not to define thelimits thereof, reference being had to the appended claims for thispurpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a card sortingmachine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is afragmentary longitudinal section of the control mechanismwhereby cards are deposited into the various pockets of the machine; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view illustrating the card receivingpockets and the mechanism for controlling the same.

As shown in Fig. 1, cards are stacked in the.

magazine 30 and fed therefrom in a well known manner by a picker device95 which is reciprocated through the medium of the linkage generallyindicated at 99. As a card is fed from the magazine, it passes betweenfeed rollers 62 to a continuously rotatable sensing device 33 in theform of a wheel which analyzes each card while in transit beneath thedevice. From the sensing position, the cards pass between rollers 64 andare picked up by lugs 59 on two endless conveyors 55, one of which isshown in the drawing, and which extend about two sets of pulleys onlyone of which is shown at 54 as being driven by a shaft 53. Theseconveyors carry the cards over the 2 pockets 34 for deposit thereinto inaccordance with the analyis of the cards by the device 33.

A card distributor mechanism fully described in said patent, and whichis controlled from said sensing device, includes a shaft 90 upon whichis mounted a pocket control member I19 in the form of a disc individualto one of the card pockets, there being one of said control members foreach pocket of the machine. The various discs I19 are mounted foroscillatory movement on a fixed bearing I through which the shaft 90extends to provide a common mounting for said discs. Each disc isprovided in its periphery with a recess I83 for receiving a stud I 84projecting from the side of an operating link I85 which connects thedisc to its pocket. A coil spring I86 is connected to one end of thelink I85 adjacent its disc for yieldably retaining the latter in itsnormal position and for restoring the same to said position at theconclusion of each card distributing operation. At the end of the linkI85 opposite the spring I86, said link is connected by an arm I81 to arocker shaft I88 journaled in opposed side rails I89, one of which isshown in Figs. 1 and 2, said shaft extending transversely over itsassociated pocket. Each shaft I88 is actuated by the linear movement Ofits link I85 to open a pocket for the entrance of a card. The rocking ofeach shaft I88 under control of the distributor mechanism forcesdownwardly, from normally raised positions, two pressure members 200 inthe form of arms fixed on said shaft and each having its free endprovided with a projection 20 I.

Each of the pockets 34 is provided with two deflectors 202 secured tothe left wall of the pocket in vertical alignment with the rocker arms200. The horizontally disposed upper end 283 of each deflector acts as asupport for the cards as they travel along above the pockets undercontrol of the lugs 59 on the conveyor belts 55, and also has attachedto the under surface thereof a resilient, normally horizontal closuremember 284 for the next pocket succeeding that one in which thedefiector is disposed. Said members 204 also provide additional supportfor the cards as they are conveyed over the pockets.

The rocker arms 200 of a pocket are depressed, as shown in Figs. 2 and3, when a card destined for said pocket approaches the same. When sodepressed, the projections 2! of said arms contact the resilientclosures 204 for said pocket and flex the same downwardly to, theposition shown. Then the leading edge of the card contacts and passesunder the free ends of the arms 200 and the card is thereby stripped, bypositive action, from the conveyor belts 55 and diverted downwardly intothe upper end of the pocket where said leading edge contacts theinclined portions of the deflectors 202 and the card finally comes torest on top of the platform 41 in said pocket. In addition to thedescribed functions of the arms 200, it will be apparent that should acard being conveyed along with its surfaces parallel to the direction ofmovement thereof, as it approaches the pocket for which it is destined,be so positioned that its leading edge is not exactly at right angles tothe direction of its travel, the then leading portion of said edge willfirst engage the projection of one of the arms 200 and be momentarilyretarded thereby until the trailing portion of said edge contacts theprojection 20! of the other arm 200, whereupon the leading edge will beshifted so that the card will enter its pocket in the correct positionin which said leading edge will be perpendicular to the direction ofmovement of the card.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sorter, a pocket having an entrance, means to move cards towardsaid pocket with the surfaces of the cards parallel to their directionof movement, a card deflector in said entrance for contact by a card asit is entering said pocket, and means positioned over said pocket andengageable with the leading edge of a card in advance of its contactwith said deflector to insure engagement of the card with said deflectorwith said leading edge of the card in a position perpendicular to itsdirection of movement.

2. In a sorter, a pocket having an entrance, conveying means includingendless belts and spaced card engaging elements thereon combining tomove cards toward said pocket with their surfaces parallel to thedirection of movement, movable closure means for said entrance, andoperating elements for opening said closure means to permit passage of acard through said entrance, said operating elements having meansengageable by the leading edge of a card prior to its entry into saidDocket for insuring the position of said edge perpendicular to thedirection of movement of the card.

3. In a sorter, a pocket having an entrance, conveying means for movingcards toward said pocket with the surfaces of said cards parallel to thedirection of their movement, movable closure means for said entrance,rocker arms operable from above said closure means to depress the sameto permit passage of a card through said entrance, said arms havingmeans acting to strip the card from said conveying means and to engagethe leading edge of said card in advance of said stripping action toinsure its entry into said pocket with said edge perpendicular to thedirection of movement of the card, and means to operate said rockerarms.

4. In a sorter, a plurality of pockets, a deflector in each pocket forguiding a card into the same and having a portion forming a support forthe cards as they pass over said pocket, means to convey each cardtoward one of said pockets with the surfaces of the card parallel to thedirection of movement thereof, said conveying means including elementsengageable with the rear edge of the card as it is being moved over saidsupporting portion, a closure member for each pocket carried by thedeflector of a preceding pocket and combining therewith to formadditional support for said cards, pressure members operable to engagewith said closure members to open his same and positioned, when so operated, for contact by the leading edge of a' card to insure its entryinto a pocket with said edge perpendicular to the direction of movementof the card, and means to operate said pressure members.

5. In a sorter, a plurality of pockets, a deflector member in eachpocket for guiding a card into the same and having a portion forming asupport for cards as they pass over said pocket, a flexible closuremember for each pocket secured at one end to and forming an extension ofsaid supporting portion of the deflector of a preceding pocket andcombining with said portion to form additional support for cards passingover the pocket which said closure member closes, said flexible memberhaving its free end terminating continguous the deflector member of thepocket with which said member is associated, and means to flex the freeend of said closure member downwardly to open said pocket for the entryof cards thereinto, said deflector and flexible closure membercooperating to engage opposite surfaces of each card to guide the sameinto its pocket.

6. In a sorter, a pocket having an entrance, means to move cards towardsaid pocket, a card deflector in said entrance for contact by a card asit is entering said pocket, and means independent of said moving meansand located over said REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,572,809 Ratcliff et al Feb. 9,1926 1,864,075 Lasker June 21, 1932 2,076,700 Bryce Apr. 13, 19372,461,418 Ford Feb. 8, 1949

